Who Let the Dogs Out?
by TakeMeorLeaveMe
Summary: June Clark is an extremely lonely twenty year old who is just wandering through life with her pug Tater Tot. One stormy night could change it all, but will it be for the better?
1. Strange Storms & Blackouts

_All the characters aren't mine, except for June and Tater Tot._ _Also, if you must know, I'm in need of an editor. So if you're interested, just send me a message and we'll talk it out. Feel free to tell me what you think of this story, but please be mature. Enjoy. _

* * *

I honestly couldn't remember the last time I was truly happy.

It was another Saturday night I was spending alone. But what did that matter anyways? I was alone virtually almost every day and every night. So much that the days and nights ran around in a continuous and undeciferable loop.

The days were filled with various menial tasks such as: college classes, work, doing stuff around the house, and huge spouts of doing absolutely nothing. You know, there's a saying that goes: "An idle mind is the devil's workshop". That would mean that a mind revving at full gear would be free from evil thoughts, right?

Well, not for me. Dark thoughts clouded my mind as I went day after day suffering in almost complete silence. I say almost because it is literally impossible to function in society without communication between people; if you can call my existence 'functioning'.

All of these thoughts accumulated at night, leaving me vunderable to bouts of depression and some severe anxiety episodes. This, in turn, left me with some unflattering scars on my left wrist, both of my hips, nails bit down to the nub with some skin torn off around the sides, and a very cynical outlook on the world.

It had been this way ever since I could remember. Now, I'm certain I was genuinely happy at one point. If I had to place a time, I would say it was sometime before the fourth grade.

I was just happy I had my own condo and job now.

My condo was my personal safe haven. It was a small grey building with white trim and a bright rede door. There were flowers in window boxes and in two tiny gardens I kept around my door. It didn't look like much, but it was home. However, it wasn't just my home; it was the home to my best friend and most loyal companion: Tater Tot.

Tater Tot, otherwise known as Tater, was the small pug I got with my first paycheck after I had paid my first set of bills. She had been donated to the local animal shelter after her breeder couldn't find a home for her. She had been the runt of the litter and had no value in the show dog circut. However, to me, she was priceless.

Currently, she laid in her favorite spot in the curve of my body as I stroked her behind her ears. Tonight was Toonami night and that meant instead of watching Family Guy, American Dad, and King of the Hill until we fell asleep, we would be watching Bleach, Naruto, One Piece, and InuYasha until we fell asleep.

"I wish they still played Deadman Wonderland." I told Tater, turning the volume up on the tv. She groaned in response, placing a paw on my breast. I smirked and kissed her nose playfully.

"No, Tater. You know you can't have any of my ice cream." I scolded her, putting another spoonful of my favorite ice cream in my mouth "It's got chocolate in it and you know that's a no-no for doggies."

Tater barked in protest, wagging her curly tail. I sighed and rolled my eyes. I swear Tater thinks she's human. She eats at the table with me, sleeps in my bed, and won't even go to the bathroom out in the open.

A thunderclap echoed through the sky followed by a waterfall of rain.

I loved days like these. It wasn't because I was simply depressed and was focused on hating anything good and light in the world; it was because for as long as I could remember I loved to curl up under a blanket with my dog and some ice cream while watching something on tv.

Tater curled up closer to me. She was not as big a fan of storms like these. Rainy days she loved, but throw some thunder and lightning in the mix and she turns into a frightened kitten.

"Here." I told her in a soothing voice, wrapping my blanket around her "I'm gonna go lay down some papers for you in the bathroom. Stay here and be good and maybe I'll bring you back a treat."

She whimpered in response, burying herself into the blanket until she was no longer visible. I smiled and patted the top of her head. Then, I stood up and walked down the hall.

I gazed ou the hallway window to my backyard. My vegetable and herb garden seemed to be just fine. However, my clay bird feeders may need to be replaced due to the high speed winds. I needed something else to do anyways.

As I continued to walk down the hall, I noticed the lights began to flicker on and off. It was the one thing I didn't like about storms as intense as this. I quickened my pace, stooping down only to grab a flashlight from the charger on the wall.

I turned it on, feeling a sense of relief rush through me. I hated the dark, always have. There was something about what could not be seen that freaked me out.

I made it to the bathroom after what seemed like ages. Next to the door was a stack of old newspapers that I often used as "potty paper" for Tater during nights like these. I was quite satisfied having trained her to make her way here without any prompting during stormy nights.

As I laid the paper down in the flickering lights, I felt an anxiety attack coming on. The possibility of a power outage was sending me into a tailspin. With no television to at least numb my mind from the emptiness that was my existence, then how else would I get through the night?

I glanced over at the sink where two clean razors used to lay.

I had long since given up self-harming. I had learned that if I had wanted to make a connection with people, then I had to make myself more approachable. That meant no fresh scabs on suspicious areas. However, despite having quit for at least a year, my progress at establishing any meaningful connections with anyone had been nonexistent. Perhaps it was the scars that still lingered or perhaps it was just cruel fate.

I finished laying down the papers and exited the bathroom. I noticed that the lights had completely stopped flickering and had turned off. Panicked, I rushed down the hall, keeping one hand on the wall for support. I followed the light of my flashlight until I reached the living room.

There, I saw the screen of the TV was nothing but blue. As I approached, I saw Tater standing at the base of the large device, wagging her tail. She seemed surprisingly curious considerig the storm that was still going on outside.

I knelt down next to her and placed her in my lap, cuddling her. I let her lick the side of my face happily as I inspected the screen.

I could see now that there was white lettering on the screen. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I could see what it said.

"Pick your program." It read. That unphased me, so I read on.

"Bleach, Naruto, InuYasha, Deadman Wonderland...hm...it seems as if they're letting me choose what show to watch." I reasoned, rubbing the back of Tater's neck "Which one do you want to watch?"

Tater barked happily in response. I smirked and kissed her head.

"I'm feeling like Naruto. You think that's ok?" I asked her. She whined happily and rubbed her head into my chest. I smiled and selected the Naruto program.

Almost instantaneously, everything went black and I felt myself falling into a black abyss.


	2. Being Discovered

_As always, the only characters I own are June and Tater Tot. Feel free to critique, but as always be mature about it. Enjoy! _

* * *

I woke up to the sound of chirping birds, wind, and Tater barking. As I sat up, I rubbed my eyes to adjust them to the harsh sunlight.

When I lowered my hands, I found that I was in a small crater surrounded by beautiful emerald green trees. Blinking in disbelief, I struggled to stand up. I did a quick once over to see if anything was injured.

Surprisingly, I was fine. All my limbs were intact and I didn't have a single scratch on me. I was still wearing my red plaid pajama pants and black PacMan shirt though. At least I had my cell phone and my iPod in my pocket.

I took out my phone and unlocked the screen to call for help. I frowned and sighed irritably, shoving the hunk of plastic back into my pocket.

"No bars." I hissed "Great! Just great! Stuck in the middle of the woods in my pjs with no money and no bars!"

Tater barked happily and wagged her tail. For her sake, I had to get us out of here and somewhere we could at least get a drink of water.

I looked around at my surroundings. There was no sign of any type of human civilization anywhere; leaving me with nowhere to even start walking. I decided to at least get out of the small crater in order to get a better look around.

"Alright, Tater, let's get out of here." I told my faithful companion. She seemed less than pleased at the prospect of climbing up the walls of our earth confinement. Tater had this habit of picking and choosing when she wanted to be active. Right now was not one of those times. I rolled my eyes and scooped my little dog into my arms.

"You can be a real pain, ya know that?" I informed her. Tater simply wagged her tail and licked the side of my face gratefully.

I climbed with great difficulty up the side of the tiny crater, panting with effort as I reached the top. I looked around once more. Still no sign of civilization. I set Tater down and pulled my wild hair over to the side. Up here, it was significantly warmer. Also, since there was nobody around, I found myself to be somewhat grateful that there was nobody to see me in my embarrasing pjs and lack of a bra.

Tater suddenly began to sniff the air curiously. I frowned and turned my attention towards the area she was inspecting.

"You sure you saw that thing fall over here?"

"Yes I'm sure! There's no doubt about it!"

"Akamaru is picking up a scent! Whatever it is, it's definitely human!"

Tater jumped in front of me, growling protectively. I was thoroughly freaked out. These voices sounded way to familiar for my liking.

My suspicions were confirmed when three all to familiar looking ninjas leaped out from the forest. The one in the center was blonde with blue eyes and clad in a bright orange jumpsuit. To his left, there was a man with white eyes and long dark hair. On his right, there was a man with spiky brown hair and red triangles on his face atop a huge white dog.

Tater immediately ran towards the larger dog and I cursed her curiosity silently. Regardless of if this was a dream or not, I had to stop her from getting eaten by that white monster of a dog.

"Tater!" I called, reaching my hand out to try and catch her. She was too fast for me and escaped my grasp by inches. I put my other hand to my mouth, biting my nails nervously as she approached the giant white dog.

At first, he seemed apprehensive. The larger dog growled and bared his fangs. Large pools of drool seeped out of his massive jaws and puddled onto the dirt floor.

"Hey! You better not hurt her!" I shouted, running after Tater, ignoring my rapidly beating heart. If it came down to it, I would have to throw myself in front of her to save her from the larger dog's attack.

"Relax! Akamaru just wants to check her out, ok?" the brown haired man said, sliding off of his dog's back. I stopped running and resumed biting my nails anxiously. If I lost Tater in this not so strange, yet incredibly foreign place I would just die.

Tater walked directly up to the large dog's face. I could barely watch as she gave him her best puppy dog pout. However, I was plesantly surprised.

Instead of swallowing my poor dog whole, the larger Akamaru wagged his tail and allowed Tater to sniff him.

"Wow, Akamaru really seems to like your dog." the owner said, crossing his arms happily. I shrugged, letting a sigh of relief escape my body.

"Yeah, well, Tater is just one of those dogs that you either really love or really hate." I explained. He nodded.

"What kind of a name is Tater, though?" he asked. I frowned. I thought it would be pretty obvious, but then again he is a man and men, in my experience, were kind of dense.

"It's short for Tater Tot." I explained "You know? Like the snack?"

He smirked warmly, making me avert my eyes so I could avoid blushing like an idiot.

"Yeah, I get it. It's cute." he held out his hand.

"I'm Kiba. And these are-"

"Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyuuga." I finished, dumbfounded. I crossed the space between us quicker than even I thought possible and shook his hand.

"Hey! How does she know who we are!? Sounds suspicious! She could be a spy!" Naruto shouted at me, pointing an accusational finger. I gulped nervously.

"I'm not a spy...it's just, uh, I'm a huge fan...of you and the Rookie 9." I said, knowing that it wasn't a complete lie. He immediately relaxed and puffed out his chest proudly.

"Ha! Wow! I finally get some recognition for the true hero I am!" He exclaimed. I rolled my eyes and stooped down to scoop Tater back into my arms once more.

"You give yourself too much credit." I replied "Yes, you may have extraordinary powers and abilities, but you never would've reached that potential without your friends."

He frowned and sulked, making me giggle. It was just like the show.

"So you're what was in that lightning bolt?" Neji asked. I looked up at the sky. It was clear as day, not a cloud up there; very unlike the conditions when I had blacked out.

"I suppose I was...odd...it was raining cats and dogs back home." I wondered.

"And home is?" Neji continued to question. I shrugged, trying to avoid eye contact and stifling the sinking feeling in my chest.

"A long ways away from here. I'd rather not go back." I replied, trying to make my tone seem like that of a refugee or something believeable.

Much to my surprise, he nodded.

"Understood. Shall we bring her to Lady Hokage then?" he asked his group. They nodded. I couldn't believe it. Only a few minutes awake in this new world and I am already being brought back to the place where I had centered most of my fantasies in without question.

"Here, you can ride on Akamaru." Kiba offered, holding his hand out to me "Don't worry. Just hand on tight and I'll be right beside you."

His words gave me some hope, but there was still a lingering thing that could not go unaddressed.

"But, I can't meet the Hokage looking like this!" I exclaimed, indicating my less than flattering attire "I look awful!"

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"You'll be fine. You're just meeting Granny Tsunade! It's not like you're going to a fancy festival!"

I blushed, embarrased. I had always thought that when you meet a leader like this, you would wear something at least semi-formal. I guess I was wrong.

I took Kiba's hand, allowing him to lift both me and Tater onto his dog.

"Alright, Akamaru, let's show this girl a good time." he instructed, giving me a cocky wink. I felt myself blush deeply, but before I could say anything, the dog bolted into the forest as fast as he could.


	3. New Beginnings

_Alright, just the usual: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in Naruto, even though I wish I did. I only own June and Tater. Rate and review respectfully and intelligently, please. Enjoy!_

* * *

Within minutes, we were in Kohona and in the Hokage's office. She looked twice as intimidating as she did on the show. Her stern blue eyes made me nibble my nails nervously. Tater, however, was completely unfazed as she played with the blonde haired Hokage's pig happily.

"So you were the source of that strange lighting, huh?" she asked, her painted nails held up under her nose. I nodded.

"Yes, ma'am." I apologized, bowing my head respectfully, "I'm sorry for any damage I caused."

The female Sannin shook her head and sipped some of the liquid, which I guessed to be sake, out of a small white cup.

"Nonsense. You landed in no-man's land." she explained "It was just unusual that such a large burst of lighting came out of nowhere."

I shrugged and rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. I hoped none of these strange circumstances would land me in an unfavorable position. I cringed as my mind raced with the possibilites.

"Yeah, sorry I wasn't much help explaining anything that happened either." I said. Tsunade rolled her colorful eyes.

"Hey, look, in times like these there are plenty of things that don't make sense. I can tell that you're not a threat, which is very good for the both of us." she said. I smirked. Usually, I had a very peaceful demeanor, with only sudden bursts of anger. The only danger I was to anyone was myself.

"So, would you be interested in a place to stay at our village?" Tsunade asked. I nodded, not seeing any other options and also just plain dumbfounded that things were going so well so far.

She nodded.

"Right, then! Shizune! Get this girl settled in!" she ordered to her assistant before turning to me with a sweet smile on her face "Welcome to Kohona."

I nodded my thanks, snapping my fingers for Tater to follow me, which she did happily and completely oblivious to what had just happened.

"Boy, Granny Tsunade must really like you to just let you stay here like that!" Naruto exclaimed as we followed Shizune down the hall "You must be really lucky!"

I assumed he was probably eavesdroppiong, which I had expected. An amused snort escaped me. Lucky was not one of the terms I typically used to describe myself, but I would accept it any day.

"Certainly is. I'm just glad that I'm just a regular girl and not some crazy weird...thingy."

"Some crazy weird thingy?" Kiba asked in a joking tone. I frowned and stuck out my tongue.

"You try falling from who knows how high in the sky and making an accurate and articulate description of something!"

He laughed heartily.

"You're alright, um, what's your name again?"

"June Clark." I reminded him. He smiled, sending goosebumps down my spine.

"Gotcha. I don't think I will be forgetting that one anytime soon." he replied with a cocky smirk and wink. I raised an eyebrow, not used to this kind of male treatment, as I was led into the photography room.

I sat down on a short stool, allowing Tater to hop up onto my lap. We watched intently as Shizune explained my situation to the photographer. When she was finished, the elderly male nodded and turned to me, camera in hand. He frowned when he saw Tater in my lap.

"Could you get that mutt out of here?" he asked me, incredibly annoyed. I felt my temper flare up in my belly. You could insult me all you wanted, but bring my Tater Tot into it and it was a whole different ball game.

"She's not a mutt, she's a purebred pug! I may have adopted her from the shelter, but that doesn't give you the right to treat her that way! She's my best friend and I won't let you or anyone here treat her poorly, got it, grandpa?!" I snapped, stunned at my own boldness. Shizune stifled a giggle and the old man shook his head.

"You're just like those crazy Inuzukas. I'm assuming you're related?" he grumbled, setting his camera up on his tripod. I blushed a faint pink.

"Actually, she's the source of that strange lightning bolt." Shizune interjected before I could say anything else. The photographer gave me an odd look, to which I shrugged innocently.

"Great. Another weirdo. That's just what this village needs." he mumbled "Well, welcome to the village. You couldn't have come at a more opportune time."

He indicated for me to smile. I sat up straight and smiled to the best of my ability, hoping that it wouldn't come out looking too pained.

In a few minutes, the photographer had my citizen ID all ready. I would just be a civilian. There would be no ninja training, which only left me slightly disappointed. However, I realized that if I did engage in any formal training and recieved a headband, I would be forced to leave at a moment's notice, leaving Tater all alone. Perhaps I could find work elsewhere, maybe in a restaurant or some retail job.

"Here you go, Miss Clark." the photographer said, handing me my papers "I hope it turned out alright."

I nodded my thanks and opened the folder. Held up at the top by a paperclip was my picture. It was the first time I had seen myself since I arrived here. I could honestly say that I was actually somewhat relieved to see my appearance hadn't been drastically altered through my multi-dimensional travels, as I had dreaded. I just wished that it could've shaved a bit of pounds off of me, but what are you gonna do? It's not like the universe was some plastic surgeon.

My hair was still curly and light brown. My eyes were still doe-like and dark chocolate brown. My skin was still the same olive tone as the day I was born. Even my smile, which still appeared to be somewhat pained despite my efforts, was the same.

I was relieved to see Tater sitting in my lap, looking into the camera for once, panting happily from her place in my lap.

"I just wish they let me change before taking this." I mumbled closing the file "I look like a hot mess."

"Alright, now Lady Hokage was kind enough to give you a small sum of money to at least buy some new clothes and some of the basics." Shizune explained as the elderly photographer cleaned up the area "It's all on this card" she handed me a small silver plastic card.

"You do know how to use this, right?" She asked. I nodded.

"Yup. It's probably one of the only things that is somewhat familiar to me here." I replied. The dark haired assistant smirked and tossed me the card, laughing as it was intercepted by Tater. I smirked and took the small bit of plastic from my crazy dog, patting her head approvingly.

"Ok, so we're all set here. I'll have at least one of the boys show you around town since I have to help Lady Tsunade keep up with her paperwork. Is that alright with you?" Shizune asked. I nodded. She smiled thankfully.

"Great! I'll see you around, Miss Clark."

She turned to leave.

"Hey wait!" I shouted, causing her to turn back and focus her attention on me.

"Just call me June." I implored her shyly "And you guys can look forward to something special from me as payback for all the kindness you've shown me and Tater."

The assistant smiled and nodded.

"I'll make sure to let Lady Tsunade know." she told me before leaving. I smiled and looked down at Tater. This life here just might be the kind of thing the both of us needed.

"Hey! There she is! How'd it go?" Naruto asked me as I exited the room. I shrugged sheepishly and produced my file, tucking my sliver card into my pocket. He snatched the folder from me with great enthusiasm and flipped through it, his blue eyes wide with excitement.

"Wow! So you're a citizen of Kohona?! Just like that?!" he asked me. I nodded.

"Great, another person we've got to protect." Kiba complained jokingly. I rolled my eyes and snatched my folder back from the orange clad ninja.

"I'll try not to get in the way." I replied in an identical tone.

"So, where are you going to live?" Naruto asked. I shrugged. If it were up to me, I'd go back into the woods and find a house next to a river or lake. But, I had neither the survival skills nor the endurance to be able to live completely independent of society.

"It's gotta be a place that allows pets." I said, looking down at Tater who trotted happily in between my legs as we walked "I would like some kind of loft space so Tater can have plenty of room to run and play while I'm at work."

"I don't think you're going to be able to find someplace like that...at least not with your tight budget." Neji said. They were probably debriefed about my situation while I was getting all my paperwork filled out. I nodded.

"I figured. They told me that this card only has enough for some clothes and basics." I replied, sighing heavily "Looks like I don't have a place to live."

I took the silver card out from my pocket and glared at it ruefully.

"So much for you, you useless piece of scrap." I growled as we made it outside. Immediately, Tater ran over to Akamaru, licking the side of his huge face affectionately.

"Well...I have an idea." Kiba suggested, scratching the back of his head sheepishly "You could move in with me and my family."

"Really? Is it ok with your mom? I don't wanna impose." I asked. He shook his head.

"Mom would love to have another girl in the house since Hana is barely home anymore." He elaborated "I know it's not a loft space, but we do love pets."

I nodded. I had no idea what rank Hana was, but if she was one of the higher ups it would make sense for her not to be home.

"It's rent free, by the way." he added, noticing my hesittion. As if on cue, Akamaru appeared next to his master with the most adorable begging face. Tater rested atop his head, not understanding why anyone was begging, but more than happy to join in. With the three of them begging like this, it was hard to refuse.

"Alright, but under one condition." I pulled at my pajama pants "I gotta get some new clothes."


	4. New Home & Late Night Discussions

_Wow...some people actually favorited this! Even more remarkable: I am publishing 2 chapters in one day! So much progress! Anyways, thank you to those who favorited and please don't be shy to tell me what you think or whatever! _

_As always, I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in Naruto, even though I really wish that I did! Enjoy!_

* * *

It was dark by the time we reached the Inuzuka compound; which was a large, almost endless, plot of land with a large, plain looking house on the top of a large hill. Warm orange light flooded from the window, casting dancing shadows on the ground. There were no flowers, only patches of grass; which is the result of a combination of having a woman with no interest in frilly, girly things as the head of the household and a huge surplus of dogs.

"I know it's not much, but it's home." Kiba told me. Tater ran ahead of us, with Akamaru trotting along at her side.

"Are you kidding me?!" I exclaimed "This is perfect! I had no idea places like this existed in Kohona!'

Kiba seemed very pleaseed with my response, his chest puffed out in pride.

"Yeah, there aren't many houses around here with this much space. It is a small village after all." he boasted. I smiled and nodded. The village was rather small, much smaller than my home town. It was home to many of the colorful characters that had given me a means to escape the harshness of reality. The thought, combined with the fact that I was being extremely calm, surprised me. Perhaps it was because a part of me believed it was all a dream that I never wanted to wake up from.

"You look nice by the way." Kiba commented. I smiled up at him, getting the feeling that he didn't like the quiet very much. I had picked out a short white skirt with a light blue tank top and black shoes much like the ones Kiba wore on his feet. I had always wanted these shoes and now that I finally had them, they felt so perfect. In my fresh new duffle bag, I had a wide variety of clothes of a similar style, some hygienic materials, and some toys for Tater. Kiba assured me that I didn't need to buy any dog food and that they had plenty at his house.

"Thanks." I replied, blushing slightly "You don't look too bad yourself."

I could've sworn I saw Kiba blush. He rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"This is what I always wear, but thanks." he replied, opening the door. Before I could even look around, Kiba was pushing my head down. I heard the crash of a plate behind me, right where my head was.

"What the hell, mom?!" Kiba shouted. I straightened myself up, a bit dazed, and looked at the woman who just threw a bowlful of noodles at my head.

"Well, maybe if you were home on time your dinner would be ready!" the harsh looking woman shouted back. She had brown spiky hair, much like her son's. They almost shared the same eyes as well, except hers were ten times more fierce.

"I told you I was going to be out!" Kiba barked back, slamming the door behind him, "Besides can't you see I brought a guest?!"

The woman, who I knew to be Kiba's mother: Tsume, calmed a bit and turned her attention to me. I gulped nervously at her sudden harsh inspection.

"Um, good evening, ma'am." I said with a nervous wave, not sure what else to say. Tsume's face immediately lightened.

"Well, it's about time my son brought a girl home! I'm Tsume!" she told me rather jovially. I blushed, embarrased at the thought of being one of those girls who were brought home to meet boys' mothers. I blushed even deeper at the thought that I was that girl who Kiba decided to bring home to meet his mother.

Kiba, however, seemed less than pleased.

"She's not my girlfriend, mom!" he protested "She's what was in that crazy bolt of lightning that I had to go investigate! She's gonna be staying with us since she has nowhere else to go!"

"If that's alright with you, Mrs. Inuzuka." I chimed in. She sighed, disappointed, and rolled her eyes.

"Fine. But don't expect me to make you another plate of dinner." she said, standing up and walking off. I blinked. This woman was much more intimidating in person than she had been on the show.

Kiba sighed and shook his head at his mother's poor manners.

"I'll make us some chicken nuggets." he said "You can go in my room and relax for a bit. I'll be up and we can watch some tv or something."

"Sure." I looked around nervously for Tater. It was unusual for her not to sleep with me.

"Don't worry. She's probably out with Akamaru." Kiba said, noticing my discomfort. He gave me a warm smile.

"They'll be back soon. Don't worry, Akamaru really likes Tater...I can tell. He won't let anything bad happen to her." he continued. I still remained silently skeptical and embarrassed. Kiba must've noticed the blush that was rapidly forming on my face.

"Hey, you ok?" he asked. I shook my head and looked down at my left wrist shamefully. Luckily, I had covered that area with some white wraps so nobody could see.

"It's just...I get really...weird if I'm alone in the dark." I said. He didn't need to know everything about my personal demons right now.

"Look, you can sleep with me...if that will make you feel better." he suggested. I raised my eyebrow suspiciously. I had read plenty of FanFictions about this kind of scenario and, although I did find Kiba incredibly attractive, I just didn't feel comfortable with doing any kind of sexual activity with him. At least, not quite yet.

"Don't worry, my bed is pretty big so it won't be too weird. And besides, we're just watching tv. It's not like we're watching porn or anything."

I giggled.

"Alright, fine. Where's your room?"

"Upstairs, down the hall, and to the right." he instructed me with a kind smile as he began to shake some frozen chicken nuggets from their red packaging and onto a plate "Just yell if you need anything."

I nodded and followed his instructions. As I walked up the stairs, I noticed how incredibly messy it was in here. It resembled the home of a frat house full of pledges rather than a home of two women and one man. Not that I was one to judge. In my condo, I kept every room in relatively clean shape, except my bedroom; which was in complete disarray.

I opened the door to what I assumed to be Kiba's room tenitavely.

Surprisingly, his room was quite similar to mine. The bed was a lot larger, probaby a queen size. There was a nest of multicolored sheets on top. Clothes covered the floor and the whole place smelled like dogs. A decent sized tv sat on top of an unused armoire facing the bed.

I stepped over various piles of clothes until I reached the closet, which was overflowing with more clothes and other items, and set my bag down. I turned and double checked that Kiba wasn't in the hall before getting changed back into my pajamas.

I looked at myself in the reflection of the black screen of the tv as I pulled my wild hair up into a messy bun. I still couldn't believe what had happened to me: pulled from my own universe into this one by some unknown force, welcomed into the village as a citizen, and going to bed with one of the hottest guys on the show; who also just so happened to have turned out to be one of the chillest guys too.

"I'm just surprised I haven't woken up yet." I murmured, looking to Kiba's bed. I was petrified to fall asleep, not only because Tater was still nowhere to be found, but also because I was afraid if I closed my eyes for a single minute I would wake up and this would all be a dream.

"Maybe I should just screw him." I joked to myself, smirking at my own audaciousness. In my home universe, I had only been intimate with two people. One of which turned out to be a complete asshole and the other who just simply disappeared off the face of the earth slowly over time. Sometimes I mused that he was sucked into an alternate universe, ironically much like I had been.

Suddenly, I heard a scratch at the window next to Kiba's bed. I crawled over the piles of clothes and up the bed to the source. I looked down and saw Akamaru and Tater sitting on a small portion of rooftop, waiting to be let in.

"Get in here, you crazy kids." I cooed, as I opened the window. The two dogs leaped inside and immediately high tailed it to the bed, where they curled up around the top. Tater laid on top of Akamaru, nestled in a tight little ball in his white fur.

"Alright, guys, scoot over." I said, nudging them over with the top of my knee. I heard a chuckle from the doorway and snapped my head to see what it was.

Kiba was standing in the doorway in grey sweatpants and a white wife beater. He held two huge platefuls of chicken nuggets and couldn't have looked more attractive to me. I heard Akamaru and Tater whine behind me and I wished I could whine with them.

"You really have a way with them." he commented as he made his way over to me "Akamaru doesn't let just anyone boss him around."

I shrugged and leanded back against the huge white dog.

"I've always had a knack with dogs...and fish oddly enough." I replied. If I was back home, I would be laying on my couch thinking about where and when I would buy a new beta fish. My previous fish, Senor Chubbs had died at the beginning of the month of old age.

"Fish are cool." he said, sitting next to me on the bed.

"I made an extra plate for Tater and Akamaru. Is it alright for Tater to have some?" he asked. I nodded, rubbing Tater's plump belly on her favorite spot.

"Yeah. In case you haven't noticed, there's not a lot she won't eat."

"Kinda like Choji." he laughed, setting the plate down on the bed. I giggled and poked Tater's belly as she ate her chicken nuggets.

"Yeah, but don't tell him that." I joked back. He and I shared a laugh as he dug through the sheets for the remote. When he found it, he turned on the tv. It seemed he had already had his favorite station, which appeared to be a comedy show similar to South Park, as his home channel.

"Here. You don't have to worry about eating a whole bunch. I'll probably eat most of them." he told me, setting the other plate down on the small space in between us.

"Ha! Don't make me laugh!" I said, grabbing a handful of nuggets "In case you haven't noticed, I don't have the body of any of the girls around here."

"What are you talking about?" he asked. I lifted up my shirt, exposing my stomach and my belly button ring. I poked at the fat of my belly, visibly annoyed with it. Kiba laughed at me.

"What?!" I exclaimed. He chuckled.

"Dude, you aren't fat. You've actually got a figure. It looks good."

I smiled as he caught himself.

"I mean, your piercing." he said, poking at the piece of metal "It looks good."

My smile didn't fade as I continued to eat the chicken nuggets happily.

The rest of the night went really well. I was surprised at how comfortable I was with the young Inuzuka boy. Instead of being disgusted at the amount of chicken nuggets I had eaten, he was impressed and even challenged me to a chicken nugget eating contest. He won, of course. I was no match for his wolfish appetite.

"Aw, look! Akamaru and Tater are asleep!" I cooed, pointing at the two dogd. Kiba frowned.

"That's weird. Akamaru usually doesn't fall asleep so early." he said, nudging his white dog with his elbow "Hey you two, get up!"

I looked over at the clock on his nightstand. The red numbers read 3:30. My eyes nearly popped out of my skull.

"Dude, it's 3:30 am!" I exclaimed. Kiba stopped nudging Akamaru and laid on his side, facing me.

"So?" he asked. I rolled over onto my side, facing him.

"Soooooo don't you have any missions to do tomorrow? Or training?"

He shrugged.

"Nah. No missions tomorrow and training is something I can do any day. Why? You got any big plans tomorrow?"

I nodded.

"I figured I should get familiar with the layout of the village. Plus, I should probably look into getting a job so I won't be in y'alls hair anymore."

Kiba snorted.

"Boy, you sure are eager to get out of here. I thought you liked it."

I playfully punched his shoulder. He chuckled and held his shoulder in mock hurt.

"Don't be silly. I love it here! It's just...well...your mom...she.."

Kiba's face fell and he rolled over onto his back abruptly. I scooted over to him.

"She's scary. I know, trust me. She's the reason my dad ran out on us when I was young."

Wow. This was some pretty heavy stuff. I pulled my bandaged wrist out of sight, not wanting him to suddenly start questioning what lied underneath them.

"Well, I was actually going to say she reminds me of my mom." I told him. He let out an amused snort.

"And did your dad run out on you, too?"

"He died actually."

The chuckling ceased and Kiba immediately sat up, staring at me intently.

"I'm sorry, June, I had no idea." he apologized. I shrugged and turned onto my back, staring at the ceiling.

"It's ok." I said, rubbing my bandages anxiously "We were really close and he talked a lot about leaving my mom to me. But he never went through with it, which was good considering it was just the three of us when he got sick."

"I'm still sorry you had to go through all that." he apologized again, laying back down. I shrugged and put my hands behind my head.

"When he died, that just left me and her. Without him to share some of her attention, it all focused on me and...well..let's just say it gave me the motivation I needed to get out of there and make a life for myself. Without that, I probably would never have rescued Tater from the shelter." I confessed. I had never admitted that to anyone, not even the shrinks I saw back home.

Kiba reached over to his nightstand and turned off the light. Glowing green stars and plantest glowed on the ceiling. I recalled having a similar set up on my own childhood ceiling.

"Cute." I chuckled. Kiba snorted.

"I think it's fucking rad."

I felt sleep creeping up on me and, although I was reluctant to accept it, I was appreciative for the period of rest.


	5. Plumbing and New Friends

_I just wanted to thank those of you who have favorited and have started to follow this story. Even though there aren't many of you, I am appreciative and amazed that I even have a few of you. Plus, I think that it is amazing that there are so many of you in such a short period of time. I'll try not to disappoint you, but if I do then feel free to let me know!_

_As always, I don't own Naruto or any of the characters associated with Naruto. The only characters I own are June and Tater Tot. Enjoy!_

* * *

The next day, I was practically overjoyed to wake up to the sound of dogs barking and people yelling. I sat up in Kiba's empty bed and rubbed my eyes, adjusting them to the sunlight that flooded in through the windows.

"So it wasn't a dream..." I said groggily, scratching the back of my head with a tired smile. I looked around for Tater, not seeing her anywhere. I decided to get ready and get downstairs instead of worrying about her. However, before I could do that, I would have to get changed into everyday clothes. I was sick of everyone seeing me in my pajamas anyways.

I decided to wear some black shorts with a light blue tank top layered on top of a white tank top. I pulled my hair up into a messy bun and went downstairs after quickly washing my face, brushing my teeth, and putting some deodorant on.

On the way down, I couldn't help but notice how incredibly haphazard the house was. I would've thought that a woman as strict as Mrs. Inuzuka would've kept a cleaner house. The couch in the living room was torn, trash and clothes covered the floor, and even some rails on the stairs were broken. Individually, it was nothing too serious. Put all together, it looked like something out of Hoarders or footage of an area after a hurricane.

"I don't care how busy you're going to be today! You're going to do the dishes and that's that!" Mrs. Inuzuka's harsh voice echoed through the house as I made my way into the kitchen. I stopped and leaned against the archway that led inside. I didn't want to be caught in the middle of this family feud.

"Well, I'd be more than happy to do the dishes 'cept for the fact that you broke the damn sink three weeks ago!" Kiba argued back. I tried to remain as quiet as possible, nibbling on the skin around my fingernails and trying to limit my breathing. I always hated witnessing domestic disputes like this. They always reminded me of thecountless fights I would have with my own mother. I could feel an anxiety attack creeping up on me, but I managed to hold it at arms length.

As if summoned to save me from the embarrassment of breaking down into uncontrolable tears and labored breathing, Akamaru, Tater, and Tsune's dog literally dog piled me, effectively surrounding me in fur, warmth, and happy kisses. An instant anti-depressant, if you will.

"Oh, hey, June's up." Kiba said, getting out of his chair nonchalantly and reaching into the pile. After fishing around for a bit, he grabbed one of my flailing arms and lifted me up out of the pile with ease. I could feel my hair sticking up every which way and dog fur clinging to my skin and clothes.

"Heh, it seems that the dogs really take a liking to you." Mrs. Inuzuka commented. Kiba carried me by my arm, over to the kitchen table, making sure to keep me high above the barking dogs who were just clamoring for my attention. He gently sat me down in one of the chairs before taking a seat next to me.

"Sorry I don't have any breakfast ready for you." Mrs. Inuzuka continued "My son refuses to fix the sink and I don't have any more clean pans to use."

"I shouldn't have to fix something that I didn't break!" Kiba snapped "Besides, you break everything around here! You should at least fix something!

"I've had it up to here with your shit, boy!" his mother roared "You can't just live here thinking you don't have any responsibility for what goes on in the house! If I need something fixed you fix it!"

I felt my hands begin to shake. The dialogue was almost identical to the dialogue shared by my mother and me during our arguements. My breathing began to increase, becoming more desprate and labored. It felt as if the walls were closing in around me. I saw a knife glinting from the dirty sink, offering me a way out.

Just when I was about to lunge over and take the sharp piece of metal, I felt a small familiar weight on my lap.

I looked down to see Tater, looking up at me worriedly and whining while she pawed at my stomach. I smiled at her, feeling normalcy sweeping over me once again, and gave her a reassuring pat on the head to let her know that everything was ok.

I turned my attention back to the feuding mother and son, who were still going at it like rabid dogs. I decided to take action and do something that I had always wished someone would've done for me in situations like this one.

"I can fix it!" I interjected. The pair immediately stopped arguing and faced me.

"June, you really don't have to worry about it. You're the guest." Kiba said, his voice soft and gentle.

"Yeah, besides my idiot son should be the one to fix it." his mom added. I shook my head, choosing not to say anything for fear that one of them would think I was taking sides in the matter, and walked over to the sink with Tater in my arms. I set her down on the ground and tried to turn on the water, finding that both handles were jammed.

"Are the handles the only problem?" I asked.

"No, I think there's something wrong with the drain too." Mrs. Inuzuka told me, rather warily. I nodded. She probably doubted I could fix it, which I didn't blame her. I doubted if I could fix it. However, if it would stop the fighting it was worth trying.

"Well, I think I can fix it. All I need are some tools, some oil, and some breakfast." I told her.

"I told you I can't make any breakfast." she replied rather irritably. I gulped and tried to keep my breathing steady.

"I know, but all I really need is a cup of coffee and a bagel or something." I told her, surprised at how steady and sure my voice was. The room was quiet for a minute before anyone said anything.

"I can go get dad's old tool box from the shed." Kiba suggested "And I think there might be some doughnuts in the fridge."

Minutes later, I found myself under the sink with pink frosting around my lips and water dripping all over me. A steaming cup of coffee rested next to my ankles along with my borrowed toolbox. The Inuzukas, as well as their dogs and mine, were sitting and watching me expectantly and curiously.

With one final tug on the wrench, I managed to pull the pipe off. A medium sized red rubber ball rolled out onto my stomach.

"You alright?" Kiba asked. I could tell by his tone that he was worried.

"I'm fine." I replied, shoving the pipe back into place and securing it with my wrench. I wiped some of the water off and crawled out with red rubber ball in hand. I grabbed my coffee before standing up, inhaling its delicious aroma thankfully. It stunk to high heavens under that God forsaken sink.

"Here's the problem." I told my audience, tossing the red ball up into the air, causing all the dogs to fight over. In the end, it was Akamaru who emerged victorious. However, instead of selfishly keeping the ball, he generously gave it to Tater, who wagged her tail in appreciation.

"Wow. That must've gotten in there when you tried throwing it at my head for coming home too late that one time." Kiba commented. I could see a very faint embarrassed blush on his mother's face.

"I suppose that is where it bounced off too..."she said, her voice somewhat far off. I smiled, feeling oddly self confident. I had never fixed a sink and only had a general idea of what to do from watching my father fix our sinks when I was younger. Maybe with the other knowledge I had picked up from him I could fix all the other stuff in the house too.

"Well, I have to go. Thanks for fixing the sink." Mrs. Inuzuka stated, whistling for her dog. The one eyed dog immediately turned from playful to serious and he trotted over to his master, letting me pat him on the head as he passed by.

"Well, that was interesting!" I exclaimed, clasping my hands together and looking at Kiba as his mother left. He seemed strangely sad.

"Thanks for that...fixing the sink I mean." he said, looking sadly at his father's toolbox. I smiled and shrugged. I knew the sink wasn't the only thing he was thanking me for taking care of.

"It's nothing. So, what do we have planned for the day?" I asked. His mood seemed to lighten up.

"I thought since you said you wanted to get acquainted with the village I could take you and Tater around with Akamaru. I can show you the best places to eat and where the girls usually like to go and introduce you to my teammates."

I smiled. Even though I already knew who his teammates were, I didn't want to stifle his enthusiasm.

I chugged the rest of my coffee, ignoring the burning hot sensaion on my tongue and throat.

"Alright! Lead on!"

Kiba and I walked all over Kohona. He showed me everything...well everything of any real importance: the ramen bar, the vet where his elder sister worked, and the market. I already knew where the clothes and pet store were because of our previous excursion yesterday. Now, we were on our way to the training grounds in order to meet Hinata and Shino.

"Hey, June, mind if I ask you a question?" the brown haired dog boy asked me out of the blue. I shook my head, feeling pretty comfortable about what he was going to ask.

"You were shaking pretty badly back there at the house. Are you feeling alright?"

I gulped nervously, but kept my faith. In the short time I had gotten to know Kiba, I had a feeling he wasn't like anyone else I had communicated with. He seemed very understanding, but I knew that if I wasn't open and honest with him then our relationship would get nowhere.

"I have had really bad anxiety ever since I was a kid." I confessed "Every now and again I get anxiety attacks and they usually start with uncontrollable shaking. But they're usually their worst at night."

"So is that why you can't sleep alone?" Kiba asked. I nodded, feeling much like a child again. The bad thoughts usually accumulated at night.

"Wow. Sounds rough." he put an arm around my shoulders "At least you don't have to go through it alone anymore."

"What do you mean?" I wondered.

"I'll be here to help you, duh." he answered "And if you ever even have a hinting that one of those attacks are coming on, come find me and I'll save you, ok?"

I blushed and shrugged his arm off me.

"I'll keep that in mind, now where are the training grounds? I feel like we've been walking for miles!"

I really needed to get back into shape. Even walking a few blocks, depending on how hot or cold it was outside, could feel like walking a few miles sometimes.

Kiba laughed.

"It's not like it's gonna be just around the corner!" he said "We gotta keep as much dangerous ninja activity out of the village as possible."

I nodded. It made sense: put all the practice explosions and junk outside of a civilian territory so there are no accidental civilian casualties. So why was I, a civilian, going to such a dangerous territory of my own free will?

Kiba grabbed my hand and pulled me onto Akamaru's back along with him. I smiled as I felt his strong protective arms reach around me and grab hold of the scruff of Akamaru's neck.

"Alright, boy, let's get a move on!" he barked to his companion "We're already late! Let's go!"

Akamaru let out a loud bark, causing the crowd of people around us to part and make a path for us. Tater leaped up with extraordinary agility onto Akamaru's back with me. Once there, Akamaru took off, running as fast as he could. I felt my heart pump massive amounts of adrenaline through my system and the wind rushed over my face and through my hair.

I looked up at Kiba to see if this wild ride, which he was probably used to, affected him at all.

Sure enough, a huge wolfish grin was plastered on his face and a wild animalistic look was in his eyes. It was as if he was one with the dog we were riding on. It was as if nothing else mattered to him except running and feeling the wind whip around him. It was incredible to see.

We ran for a few miles, our surroundings consisting of nothing but multicolored blurs. Soon, the colors began to fade into the same emerald green I found myself surrounded by not too long ago. Akamaru began to slow down and I blinked my hopelessly dry eyes and wiped the tears from my face.

We found ourselves in a clearing, where I could see Hinata and Shino. Hinata was practicing against one of the wooden training targets. Her hair was long and glistening in the sun. Sweat dripped off her brow with effort. She must've been practicing for a while. I admired her determination.

Shino was watching his only female teammate practice from the shadows. He had alwasy creeped me out in the series and seeing him in person freaked me out even more. I hated bugs; all types of bugs. Even butterflies freaked me out if they got too close. Worms were the only bug I could even stand to touch, so the concept of voluntarily working with them and having them inhabit your body was inconceivable to me.

"Hey, guys!" Kiba shouted cheerfully as Akamaru walked up to the other two members. Hinata immediately stopped hitting the target and turned to face us. She was even prettier in person. I had no idea how anyone, especially Naruto, could see right through her.

"Kiba! You're here!" she exclaimed in her lofty voice. I felt envy grip my guts. She was every inch the feminine figure I wished I could be.

"Yeah, sorry we were lated." he apologized, sliding off of Akamaru "We had an issue at home, then we decided to take a walk around the village and we lost track of time."

"It's alright." Hinata replied sweetly, tucking a long lock of dark hair behind her "I'm just glad you're here!"

"You must be that mystery girl from the lightning Naruto wouldn't shut up about." Shino said suddenly, emerging from the shadows. Nothing against him as a person, but even his voice gave me chills and not the good kind. I gave him a slightly embarrassed smile as I not so gracefully slid off Akamaru.

"I guess. My name is June Clark, though. I don't know if he told you that."

"No he didn't, but it's good to know. I'm Shino." the bug user said. I smirked. I always had a feeling he wasn't quite as serious as everyone liked to think.

"And I'm Hinata Hyuuga." Hinata introduced herself "It's very nice to meet you."

Tater barked loudly from atop Akamaru's head, demanding her presence be acknowledged.

"Oh! How could I have forgotten!" I exclaimed, picking up my dog from her living pedistal. I held her up Lion King style for dramatic effect.

"This is Tater Tot!" I introduced her "But everyone just calls her Tater!"

Hinata's eyes lit up and she rushed over to my dog, who stuck her curly tongue out lazily as she began to pant.

"She's adorable!" the shy girl exclaimed, scratching Tater behind her ears. Tater smiled and kicked her back leg happily. It appeared as if they Hyuuga girl found what I liked to call her "happy spot".

"You wanna hold her?" I asked "She loves being cuddled."

"Can I?" I nodded, handing her my little pug. Tater sneezed suddenly before licking Hinata's hand.

"That means she wants you to scratch her some more." I explained with a fond smile. Hinata grinned and complied with Tater's demands.

"So what are you guys doing today?" I asked the trio as Hinata continued to pet Tater.

"Well, I was hoping I could show you some of our moves. And then grab some dinner. If that's ok with you?" Kiba said. His companions seemed somewhat surprised that he asked me for permission. I nodded, opening my arms to take Tater back.

I sat in the shade of the trees with Tater, watching Team Kurenai spar together. Well, actually, I was mostly watching Kiba and Hinata. I tried to keep my attention off of Shino and his bugs as much as possible.

Hinata's Gentle Fist style looked twice as beautiful as I had found it on the television. The Byakugan was really an amazing ocular jutsu. Attacking her opponents from the inside was really an effective way to take down an enemy. I knew personally just how harmful internal injuries could be. I held my left wrist, which was still bandaged, tightly. It was a miracle that nobody had asked why it was covered up yet.

Kiba's style of fighting, on the other hand was focused purely on external damage. Any internal damage was merely coincidental. He and Akamaru worked in tandem perfectly. They were both wild, yet strangely strategic. They moved quickly, much too quickly to be using their eyes alone. I knew they were using their sense of smell; something that I knew took a great amount of skill. The way Kiba handled himself in battle kept my attention fixed on him. It made me feel safe to be in a universe with him as my ally.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Tater seemed to be watching Akamaru, wanting to jump into the fray and help defend him. I scratched her head.

"Don't worry, Tater. They're just playing." I explained to her "Akamaru isn't in any real danger."

Tater let her curled tongue flop out of her mouth happily, letting her curly tail wag. I smiled. It was cute that Tater seemed to have already developed a special relationship with Akamaru. I guess that's part of the mystery of dogs.

"So what did ya think, June?" Kiba panted, jogging over to me, joined by his teammates.

"It was great! You guys really are talented!" I exclaimed. Tater barked and bounded over to Akamaru. The two nuzzled their noses together happily.

"Any highlights?" Kiba asked, eager to hear my opinion. I nodded and stood up, brushing the dirt and grass off of my bottom.

"Well, I really liked it when Hinata did that spinny thingy like this." I help both of my palms out in opposite directions, mimicking Hinata's move as best as I could. When I finished, Hinata let out an embarrassed giggle a faint blush resting on her cheeks.

"You did it much better." I said, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly.

"And me?!" Kiba asked.

"Oh! I loved it when you and Akamaru did Fang Over Fang!" I exclaimed. It was my favorite basic move they did. And by basic, I didn't mean that it was trivial or weak, I meant it was the move they could do the best without putting too much strain on themselves.

"And me?" Shino asked quietly. I felt my face grow cold.

"I, uh, I liked it when you did that...thing with the...those-"

"You didn't watch me..."he said in a far off tone. I immediately felt guilt set in.

"It's not cuz I don't like you! It's cuz...well...bugs...they um...they give me the creeps." I confessed. He remained silent, my confession having no affect on improving his disappointment.

"Ehhh..."I groaned. My stomach growled, saving me from any further embarrassment.

"Sounds like someone's hungry." Kiba said, picking up on my body's loud message to the group "How about we go grab some dinner at the barbecue!"

"Sounds good to me!" I answered.

"Yeah! Maybe Choji and Ino might be there!" Hinata added.


	6. Late Night Barbecue

_Hey, just to let you guys know that chapter posting may be getting a little spotty from here on out. My dad is coming home from the hospital and I need to help him out around the house. _

_As always, thanks so much for reading! I never really expected anyone to read anything I wrote, so this is all pretty exciting for me! I also just checked and there is even someone from Sweden reading this! That's so cool!_

_Also, something new that I'm going to do is to use __**this**__ to describe what someone is thinking. Instead of saying "he thought" or "she thought" over and over again, I am just going to use the bold and italics. If you all have a problem with it, as far as being able to understand the story, then I'll change it._

_Anyways, I don't own Naruto or any of the characters associated with Naruto. I do own June and Tater! And, if I didn't make this clear from the beginning, feel free to rate and review! Enjoy!_

* * *

Much later, I found myself with Tater on top of Akamaru. Our group of four had picked up two more members, Naruto and Sakura, on our way to the barbecue. This was my first time meeting the pink haired ninja and it was pretty much exactly how I thought it would be: annoying. I know lots of people who watched the show back in my universe always thought that this older version of Sakura was at least somewhat useful and less obnoxious, but I had always seen her as an annoyance. She was so much like the women I tried to avoid back home. However, I tried to keep an open mind so that I wouldn't make any waves.

Despite my open mindset, I could already feel something dark grip my heart. I could hear my own voice taunting me inside my skull. Every time I even thought to open my mouth to say something, it would interviene.

_**"Don't you think about opening that useless little mouth of yours."**_it said **_"They're so happy and normal. You probably would just mess it up anyways. Like you always do."_**

I kept my mouth shut. Yes, I knew that the voice was my own and I could stop it any time I wanted to. So why didn't I? I willed it to stop with all of my might, but it seemed to just keep talking louder and louder.

My eyes glazed over to Kiba, who was leading Akamaru and talking to Hinata. I stared intently at the back of his chocolate spiky head, willing for him to turn around and see what was going on with me. He did tell me he would help me if I was ever in a situation like this, but I couldn't ask him now. Not in front of all of these people I was trying to be friends with.

_**"Give it**_** up."** my voice taunted me **_"Clearly he would much rather be talking to Hinata than you, since she's much prettier and more talented than you could ever hope to be."_**

Tears welled up in my eyes as I averted my gaze to the dirt road we were trodding on. The surrounding noises began to fade along with any presence of anyone else. I felt as if I was in an abandoned warehouse with doors constantly sliding shut around me, pushing me into a dark square that only seemed to grow smaller and smaller with each passing moment. There was nothing in this place, nothing but me and my own voice that echoed through the prision of my mind.

"Hey, June. You alright?" Naruto's voice broke me from my thoughts. I blinked and looked down at him. We had stopped moving and were in front of the barbecue. How long we were standing here, I had no idea. All I knew is that everyone was staring at me strangely, which made my face heat up.

_**"See? Nothing, but a freak. Even in this new universe you're still the freak."**_

I forced myself to smile and slide off Akamaru. Tater remained by the larger dog's side as we walked inside the barbecue.

Upon entering, I found the surroundings to be incredibly bright and smelling of sickeningly sweet barbecued meats of all different types and flavors. It was impossibly crowded; not a single empty table could be seen in the entire place.

Naruto seemed to know exactly where he was going as he weaved in between the tables, making his way to the back right. We followed behind him, thankful for his bright orange jumpsuit which made him easier to track.

I wished Tater would've come in with me. Even as we piled into a booth that we had apparently decided to share a booth with Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru, I still felt alone. All these people had something in common. All of these people knew each other way before any of them met me. Who was I to intrude upon them?

"Hey, June...June...June!" Kiba yelled over the roar of the people around us as he snapped his fingers in front of my face. I blinked, snapping out of my daze. To my relief, everyone but him seemed to be distracted by each other to notice my spaced out state.

"Are you ok?" he asked, keeping his voice low. I shook my head. He nodded.

"I figured something was up. C'mon, let's go outside."

I let him take my hand and lead me out of our booth. He led me out the back door where the cool night air hit my face like a ton of bricks, making me realize just how hot it was in that building.

"Alright. Now that we're out here, tell me what's going on." he ordered in a firm, but kind way. I rubbed my bandaged arm anxiously. Kiba noticed immediately, his dark eyes flashing to the white wraps.

"I've been wondering why you wear those bandages. Why? Were you injured when you fell?" he asked. I shook my head. His eyes narrowed.

"Then why wear them? Here let me help you take them off." Kiba insisted, trying to grab my arm. I pulled it away. A part of me did want him to see, hoping he would understand. Another part would do anything to keep it hidden.

"No! Really! I'm fine!" I exclaimed. He was persistent.

"June, it's like a thousand degrees in there. Wearing all these wraps just seems stupid. Now just take them off."

He was right. I didn't realize it at first, but my left arm in particular was sweating like crazy inside the barbecue. It would make sense to take it off and there wasn't really any excuse to keep it on now that injury was out the window.

_**"Go ahead. Show him. He'll tell everyone. He'll hate you forever if you show him."**_

"C'mon, June, just let me see it. It can't be that bad." he said, his voice soft and reassuring.

**_"Show him and you'll be all alone!"_**

The thought scared me the most and I stopped struggling for just a split second. It was all the time Kiba needed to grab my arm and rip the bandages off. His face fell when he saw the scars.

"Oh, June..." he murmured. I felt something inside me break. I knew that tone. Tears overflowed and fell down my cheeks. I knew what that tone meant. Reality was hitting me hard in the one place where I usually found an escape. It was all too much for me to handle.

Suddenly, Kiba did something I didn't expect.

He pulled me into him, wrapping me up into a big warm hug. I could hear his heartbeat, smell his scent, and feel him begin to stoke my hair.

"I can't believe I didn't see those before. Are they part of the anxiety?" he asked. I shrugged, feeling the tears leave my face as I wrapped my arms around him as well.

"Sort of." I murmured, my voice muffled by his jacket "It's not like the depression helps."

"Aw, June, we all get that way sometimes...hell even I'm not the loveable scamp you see everyday." he told me, his tone light. I let a small giggle escape my lips. He chuckled and rubbed my cold bare arms, looking deep into my eyes.

"Just tell me one thing." he said. I nodded, unsure of what he would ask.

"Do you still do this?" he asked. I knew he meant the whole self-harming bit. I shook my head in response, feeling incredibly satisfied when I saw his face light up.

"Good. Now, we can go home, if you want, and cuddle while we watch a couple of movies with ice cream. Or we can go back in there, have some barbecue, and then go home and cuddle while watching movies with ice cream." he suggested. I smiled and giggled, feeling a bit stronger despite my now rumbling stomach.

"Let's have some barbecue." I answered. He smiled happily, pulling me back into his arms once more.

"That's my girl! Now c'mon, let's get back in there!" he exclaimed, turning to enter the restaurant once more. I was elated. It was the first time anyone reacted in such a way towards my scars. Plus, did he just call me his girl? That's definately a reason to smile, but there was something that needed to be asked before we turned back into the honeymooners.

"Wait, Kiba, could you do me a favor?" I called out to him. He stoped and turned his attention to me.

"Sure. What is it?"

"Don't tell anyone, please?"

He gave me an incredibly sexy wink as he wrapped my wrist back up quicker than my eyes could see.

"Wasn't planning on it."

When we returned, it appeared as if everyone had already ordered. The pork was sitting on the grill, sizzling seductively making my mouth water.

"Soon, my sweet." I cooed silently to the meat as Kiba and I slid into our seats.

"Where'd you guys run off to?!" Naruto exclaimed, his mouth full of barbecue.

"She got sick after looking at your face for too long." Kiba sneered, snatching up the sizzling pork, much to Choji's anger. I smirked. Dinner with these guys really was more of a battle than an actual dinner. I looked over at Kiba who gave me some of his victory plunders. I was eternally grateful to have him fighting for me so I wouldn't starve.

"Aw, you don't really think my face is that hideous do you, June?" Naruto asked. I giggled and shook my head, wondering just when my opinion ever really started to matter to anyone.

"Nah, Naruto, I actually think you have a handsome face. In my universe, girls would be clamoring all over you." I replied, eating some barbecue. He blushed and pushed more pork into his mouth.

"No need to boost his ego any more, June." Ino said, rolling her sky blue eyes "He already thinks he's the hottest thing in the universe thanks to that last battle."

"Not my universe." Sakura added, sipping her glass of water. I giggled and glance over at Kiba, who just happened to be the hottest thing in my universe right now.

"Speaking of universes, which one did you fall out of?" Shikamaru asked. I gulped nervously. I never wanted to go back there and I didn't want to talk about it. No matter how sad I might become here, at least I had Kiba to comfort me. I just wanted the questioning about my origins to stop.

"She doesn't really like to talk about it." Kiba interjected, giving me a wink. Shikamaru nodded, and sat back in his seat.

"I know the feeling." he groaned.

"Aw, Shikamaru, your mom isn't that bad." Choji said, laying some more pork on the grill "All she does is tell you to do chores."

"Yeah! And it's such a drag!" Shikamaru moaned. I giggled and, for once, I actually felt like part of a group.

"So, June, what are you planning to do now that you're in Kohona?" Ino asked, eating some pork. I shrugged.

"Well, I really wanna get a job as a waitress or a cook somewhere." I explained "Eventually I would love to get a loft space or a small house."

"Yeah, I hear you're living with Kiba now." Sakura's nose wrinkled in distaste "I can only imagine what it must be like in a house that wreaks of dog 24/7."

I chuckled. Yes, the house did wreak of dog, but it didn't bother me at all. However, I did plan to clean the place up a bit, which would probably get rid of the smell.

"I actually like the smell...sort of." I replied, seeing Kiba smile at me out of the corner of my eye "Dogs have always made me feel comfortable. So just smelling them everywhere isn't that bad."


	7. It's a Date

_Wow, the audience just keeps growing and growing! As always, thank you very much for reading and, please, don't be afraid to write down a review. Also, updates may get a little spotty from now on because I'm going to be starting work soon. Thanks for understanding!_

_I don't own Naruto or any of the characters associated with Naruto. I only own June and Tater. Enjoy!_

* * *

It was incredibly late by the time we all left the barbecue with bellies full of the most delicious pork barbecue I had ever tasted. Something told me that Tater and Akamaru also had bellies full of the delicious cooked meat. Maybe it was the sauce around both of their muzzles or maybe it was the fact that even big old Akamaru was so full that he could barely walk.

"Jeeze, boy, you really over did it tonight, didn't you?" Kiba scolded his faithful companion. Akamaru whined in response.

"And you too, Tater Tot! You should have limited yourself!" I scolded my own companion. Tater groaned from her place in my arms. It was incredibly difficult to carry her due to her dramatic weight increase.

"So is your mom gonna yell at us for being out so late?" I asked Kiba. He nodded.

"Yeah, if we were gonna walk through the front door." he replied "But we're not. I've got a different way in."

"Oh! Is it a super cool ninja way in?" I exclaimed, my mind racing with all the different possibilities. Kiba laughed.

"Yeah, if you call sneaking in through my bedroom window a super cool ninja way."

I stuck my tongue out at him and looked at the sky. There were billions of stars dotting the black sky. I could never have hoped for a view of the sky like this back where I used to live. It was a pretty decent sized city with so many buildings and lights that they blocked out the stars.

"So, you've got a mission tomorrow?" I asked, keeping my gaze upwards. Kiba nodded.

"Yeah. It's just a C-rank mission to the Hidden Sand Village. Nothing too major." he replied. I felt my heart skip a beat. Gaara was my long term anime crush ever since I first saw him introduced onto the series. Although I realized that, realistically, Gaara would never be a good match for me, I still found him to be insanely attractive. And that was putting it lightly.

"Is that where Gaara lives?!" I blurted, a bit too much enthusiasm escaping in my tone. Something in Kiba's face faded away and I felt a tinge of guilt in my heart.

"Yeah." he replied, the usual spark in his voice gone. His eyes looked up at the sky in a distant way. I shrugged, pretending not to be interested in the smoking hot red haired Kazekage.

"So are we still watching a movie?" I asked, causing Kiba's mood to do a complete 180.

"If you want I'll put something in, but don't get mad if I fall asleep!" he joked. I giggled and punched his arm playfully.

"Only a little bit. Nothing another barbecue won't fix!"

"Nah! If you think that's good, then I gotta take you to Joss's! They've got the best sushi around!" he replied. My eyes grew wide. I loved sushi with almost every fiber of my being. This man really seemed to get me.

"Oh my gosh! We've gotta go!" I exlcaimed.

"It's a date then!" Kiba replied with the same amount of gusto. Our faces turned a bright red when we realized what just came out of his mouth. We both found the road we were walking on to be suddenly very interesting.

I, for one, did not feel that surprised or embarrassed. Surprisingly, I was happy. All along, I felt something between us; I guess it's what I've always heard of as "chemistry". I just hoped I wasn't jumping the gun on anything.

"Sorry about that." Kiba apologized. I worked up the courage to give the brown haired ninja a warm smile.

"Don't worry about it. I was actually wondering how long it would take for you to ask me out." I joked back, trying to relieve some of the awkwardness.

"Really?" he asked. I giggled.

"No, but I am happy that you did. Believe it or not." I poked his arm, playfully "I like you, Kiba."

I saw a tinge of pink cross his cheeks as he smirked. He wrapped one strong arm around me and pulled me close in a friendly way.

"And I like you too, June."

A bit later, Kiba and I were curled up on his bed with Akamaru and Tater behind us. True to his word, sneaking in the bedroom window wasn't as exciting as I had imagined it. It was actually pretty reminicent of a couple of average teenagers who stayed out too late at a party; which is kinda like what we are. Only, one of us is a man with a liscence to kill.

Our two dogs had fallen asleep almost as soon as their tired little heads hit the mattress. I could tell Kiba wasn't far behind them.

"So, how long is your mission?" I asked. Kiba groaned and wrapped his arms around me instinctively.

"Three weeks. You think you can survive?"

"Yeah." I giggled "Hey, while you're out on missions, can someone write you letters?"

"Sure. Why? Thinking of sending me some hand written sentiments?" he yawned. I yawned too.

"Maybe I am. And maybe I wanna write all of my other friends who happen to be on missions for the next three weeks." I replied sarcastically. Kiba giggled tiredly and tickeled me lazily. I giggled and swatted his hands away with minimal effort.

"Alright, well, I may think about writing you back." he said.

"And I may think about not going on a date with you." I replied.

"Alright! Alright! Fine! I'll write back! Just don't stand me up. It'll make nights like these super awkward." he smiled, his eyes closed. I could tell he was fading fast and so was I. Besides, Hinata and I made plans to hang out tomorrow and I had to meet her at the noodle bar at lunchtime.

I yawned and rolled over onto my stomach, my head resting on Kiba's bare chest with a leg and an arm draped over him. He tensed at first, but quickly relazed, wrapping his arms around me once more. I could hear his gentle snores as they lulled me into a deep sleep.


	8. Mass Murdering Bicycle

_As always, thank you all so much for the support and love. I am really surprised that I am only on the 8th chapter and I already have so many people reading. It really means a lot to me!_

_I don't own Naruto or any of the characters associated with Naruto. I only own June and Tater Tot. Please continue to favorite and review! Enjoy!_

* * *

The next morning, I woke up to Tater licking my face happily. As I opened my eyes, I could see the sunlight streaming in through the blinds, which meant Kiba must've shut them at some point early this morning. On the pillow next to me, there was a small folded up note with my name writted on it.

I sat up groggily and opened the note.

_June,_

_Last night was really fun. I know I kinda jumped the gun on the whole asking you out thing, but I'm really happy you accepted. My mom is going to be on a mission for the next month and Hana is on a mission in the Land of Waves, so it looks like you're gonna have the house to yourself until I get back. You can deliver the letters you want to send me at the Hokage's office. Shizune can take you through the rest. Have fun and I can't wait to hear from you._

_-Kiba_

As I folded the not back up, I marveled at the surprising amount of trust the Inuzukas showed me so far. It probably had something to do with the fact that I was not a ninja and had no remarkable power or criminal record, but I was still thankful for it nontheless.

The house was incredibly still and silent. Even with Kiba back in it, I was pretty sure it would remain as such until Tsune and/or Hana returned. In this way, it was almost identical to my life back home with my parents, but for some reason I didn't feel sad. Maybe it was because I had plans with Hinata. I poked at the clock that rested on the nightstand. It read "8:30".

"At least I have plenty of time." I said, looking down at Tater and scratching behind her ears "I think it's high time for a shower. What do you say?"

Tater barked happily and wagged her tail. She was an extremely strange dog. She hated the typical dog bath, but absolutely adored showering with me. I swear she thinks she's a human.

As I stood underneath the steamy, hot water washing my hair with my brand new shampoo, I tried to remember exactly where the noodle bar was; since that is where Hinata and I arranged our meeting. I resolved that I would either have to leave early in order to get there on time or I would have to get lucky and run into somebody who knew the way. I cursed my shyness towards strangers as I lathered a bit of the cucumber melon scented shampoo into Tater's fur.

"You think if I gave you a noodle to sniff, you could find the way?" I asked my dog. She barked and shook her head. I sighed in defeat.

"I guess we better hurry this up then."

Later, I was dressed in my navy blue maxi dress that was cut shorter in the front and fell to my ankles in the back. I wore a white bandini underneath the sheer material at the top and brown Roman sandals on the bottom. It was my attempt at being feminine and I don't think I did too bad on it.

Whe I went downstairs, it dawned on me that I completely forgot all about the special treats I promised I'd make for Shuzune and Lady Tsunade. I couldn't show up there empty handed, especially not after all they had done for me.

I quickly raced around the messy kitchen, checking every nook and cranny for ingredients. To my dismay, I found that there were only enough to make my special chocolate chip cookies. I call them special because they're not your average chocolate chip cookies. I always make sure to mix a bit more vanilla and add twice the amount of both plain chocolate and white chocolate chips to each cookie.

After I mixed together all the ingredients, I set about cleaning up after myself. However, as always, I got carried away and ended up cleaning the entire kitchen from top to bottom. I did make sure to check the clock periodically to make sure I had plenty of time. It was no that I wished my phone worked here so I could at least call Hinata and let her know if I was going to be a little late.

"But do they even have cell phones here?" I mused. They had radio transmitters and stuff like that, but I have yet to see a house phone or any type of mp3 player. I checked the clock again.

"10:30..."I read aloud as I took the last batch of cookies out of the oven. I bit my lip anxiously. Lunchtime was creeping up on me faster and faster with each passing second. Plus, if I were to walk there, chances were that I would be late.

"Ugh! What am I gonna do?!" I asked aloud. Being late was something I absolutely detested doing. Especially when I had no way to let anyone know that I was going to be late.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw my potential saving grace.

An old blue, slightly rusted beach cruiser rested against the side of the house. Did it work? I had no idea. I left the kitchen in order to investigate further.

"Well I'll be damned!" I remarked, putting my hands on my hips. The bike was in near perfect condition...well...as near perfect as an antique bike could get. All it seemed to need was a basic tune up and a fresh coat of paint. I was certain that I could at least scrounge up a few parts and some oil in order to get the old hunk of metal working again. I looked down at Tater, who barked in protest up at me.

"And I'll make sure to add a basket for you." I told her. She barked happily and pranced into the house in search of her choice basket. I followed behind, thankful I already knew where the tools were kept.

About an hour and a half later, I had the bike in working condition. Now, in my home universe, I was never this handy. I guess this is where the phrase: "Necessity is the mother of invention" comes to play.

"You ready, Tater?" I asked, snapping the basket into place on the front handle bars. I had no idea where my dog managed to find a perfectly good woven basket in this messy home, but I wasn't about to question it.

My pug jumped around excidely, barking loudly with anticipation. She had never ridden in a bike before and didn't seem to be the slightest bit nervous.

"Alrighty then!" I said, picking her up and placing her in the basket "I'm gonna run back inside and grab the cookies. I won't be long. Stay here and be good."

A bit later, I found myself flying down the dirt road towards town. The bike was creaking under me dangerously, but I was too scared to simply slam on the breaks. I also doubted if the breaks even worked. I cursed my stupid idea.

"Out of the way!" I screamed at a pair of merchants in front of me. They leaped out of the way, pulling their carts with them as I flew past. Tater barked happily at them, completely unaware of the dangerous situation we were in.

"Thank you!" I shouted over my shoulder. Town was getting closer and closer, so I decided to begin to pump the breaks. They were slack against my efforts.

"Shit." I cursed silently before screaming bloody murder as the bike continued to accelerate.

"Out of the way! Out of the way!" I shrieked at the villagers who jumped out of the way to avoid my rusted bike of death. Tater continued to remain unfazed, barking happily at each passing bystander while sitting on top of the tin of cookies I had just made earlier.

"Somebody help me!" I screamed as loud as I could.

Suddenly, two flashes of green leapt on either side of my speeding contraption of murder.

"Did you call for some help, young lady?" the man I knew to be Gai asked with his signature smile and thumb gesture.

"Yes! Of course I did!" I exclaimed "My bikes's breaks don't work and I need it to stop right now!"

Gai gave me a curt nod before addressing his former pupil.

"Understood! Lee!"

Rock Lee, who was running to my left, nodded back to his teacher before flipping high up in the air. He landed right in my bike's path, squatting in a ready position. I closed my eyes and braced myself for impact. I could see my life flash before my closed eyelids. I could also see that it ended with me sitting in Kohona's prision for reckless endangerment resulting in the death of a ninja and a few pedestrians.

I felt a sudden jerk and the bike skidded to a stop. I opened my eyes hesitantly, letting out a sigh of relief when I was met with Lee's smiling face instead of the face of the Grim Reaper.

"You have been saved, fair lady!" Lee exclaimed, releasing my bike and giving me a thumbs up and a sparkling smile "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Rock Lee!"

"And I'm Might Gai!" Gai exclaimed, posing next ot his former student. They were a bit much and then some for me, especially since I couldn't figure out how to use the coffee machine this morning. Also, I could swear I saw doves fly out from behind the posing duo.

"Nice to meet you." I replied, fishing the tin of cookies from underneath Tater's bottom with the intent to give them each one as a prize for their efforts to save me "I'm June Clark. Thank you so much for saving me."

The identical pair blinked at me, dumbfounded.

"You're the lightning girl?!" Lee exclaimed. I nodded, a bit unsure of if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Hm, how odd." Gai added "I pictured a girl who travels by lightning to be much more...energetic and youthful."

I narrowed my eyes.

"First off, I don't travel by lightning." I growled, indicating my rusted hunk of junk "Secondly, I'd like to see you try flying down that hill on a bike with no breaks without any caffeine in your system."

"Is that a challenge?!" Gai exclaimed. I shook my head furiously, my eyes wide. This was definately too much for the morning.

"No! I just meant that-"

"Lee! Let us take the lightning girl's challenge and prove our youthfulness!" Gai interrupted. Lee saluted promptly.

"Yes, Gai-sensei!" Lee exclaimed, before politely bowing to me.

"It was very nice to meet you, June, I hope we can see each other sometime in the future under less dangerous circumstances."

And with that, he and his enigmatic teacher were off, leaving me in a cloud of dust. I shook my head and sighed, putting the tin of cookies back into the basket.

"I guess they didn't want a token of thanks." I muttered, sliding off my bike "I think I'm gonna walk it from here, though."

Luckily, I was in a position where I could smell the ramen noodles perfectly. I followed my nose to the source, leaning my rusted bike against the small building once I found it. It took every ounce of my being not to kick the stupid thing a few times.

Tater eagerly jumped out of the basket and promptly started to bark at me as if asking me if we could do it again.

"Not until we get some new breaks." I told her, removing the cookie tin. I ducked inside the flaps of the noodle bar, letting out a sigh of relief when I caught sight of the back of Hinata's head.

"Hey, Hinata!" I said, as I sat down on the empty stool beside her "I'm sorry if I was late. I had the worst time getting down here."

Hinata blushed sheepishly and began to fiddle with her fingers.

"Oh! June, don't worry about it. You weren't that late...I actually just got her myself. I haven't even ordered yet." she informed me. Tater hopped up onto my lap and Hinata scratched her behind her ears. I smiled.

"Phew! That's good to hear. Now, let's eat! I'm starved!"


	9. June Employed

_Fanbase just keeps growing and growing! Thanks everyone for your support! It really adds something special to what I am doing! So, if you're a new follower: welcome! _

_I don't own Naruto or any of the characters associated with Naruto. I do own June, Tater, and the new character being introduced today! Please continue to rate, review, and favorite! And, as always, enjoy!_

* * *

Later, Hinata and I were walking towards the Hokage's mansion with bellies full of ramen. I had used the last of what was left on my card to pay for my bowl and was now officially penniless and in desprate need of a job. Thankfully, Hinata had agreed to go on a job search with me. However, that would all have to wait until after I delivered these cookies.

"Hey, Shizune!" I called to the dark haired assistant as we entered the air conditioned building. She was leaning over the receptionist's desk, probably giving her the Hokage's schedule for the day.

"Oh! June! I see you're all settled in. How are you enjoying Kohona?" she asked me. I nodded and handed her the tin.

"Yeah, I am." I told her "Kohona is great! Hinata is actually going to help me go job hunting. Plus, I made these for you guys."

Shizune smiled and took the tin. As she opened it, her eyes grew wide and she deeply inhaled the sweet scent of the fresh baked cookies. I smiled with satisfaction.

"Told you I would make you guys something special."

"Mmmm...these smell amazing! I can't wait to eat them!" Shizune exclaimed. I giggled.

"Yeah, but make sure you share some with Lady Tsunade."

She laughed as well, placing the lid back on the tin and setting it on the receptionist's desk.

"Well, we really gotta get going. Could you make sure Lady Hokage knows how thankful I am for all she has done for me so far?" I asked. Shizune nodded happily and quickly removed one of the cookies from the tin, nibbling on it greedily.

"Sure! Just let us know where you end up working and we'll drop by!"

"Will do! See ya, Shizune!"

Hinata and I bowed politely to the Hokage's assistant before continuing our day excursion together. It was a pretty hot day. I still had no idea what the exact day or season was, but I assumed it was late spring. I didn't want to ask anyone what the day was because I was concerned that my lack of knowledge would inspire debate about my true origins. I mean, come on, what person doesn't at least know what the season is unless they're either crazy or from another dimension.

"That was really nice of you to make those for Lady Tsunade." Hinata told me softly. I shrugged, keeping an eye on Tater as she trotted ahead of us.

"It seemed like the right thing to do. Besides, I needed something to do while Kiba is gone." I explained.

"Oh yes, he is on a mission isn't he?" she mused. I nodded and giggled, feeling strangely proud of him for some reason.

"Yeah. He's gonna be in Suna for the next three weeks. But I'm gonna write him though!" I felt a blush creep steadily onto my cheeks.

"You must really like him." she said "Nobody ever really has cared that much to write him before...well...at least not a civilian."

I frowned. It seemed incredibly foreign to me that nobody, not even the family, would write someone who was on a potentially life threatening mission; not that this one was life threatening. Maybe it was because, in my universe, almost every school made the children have some sort of contact with active duty soldiers. Maybe it was because the majority of his friends and family were ninjas and they knew the life well enough to know that letter writing is stupid.

I immediately felt like an idiot, but I already told Kiba I would write. I guess one letter wouldn't look too stupid, especially since I made such a big deal about it on our last night together.

"How about we check out this place?" I suggested, eager to change the subject. I pointed at a relatively new looking eatery called Rei's Cafe. The outside looked fresh, but the inside looked dark and empty. The lack of people inside seemed like a somewhat good sign to me. Maybe the owner couldn't find anyone available to work and was getting desprate. He or she would have to hire me then, right?

"It's worth a shot." Hinata said, rather doubtfully. I smiled, thankful for her naturally submissive attitude, and took her hand. I led her with confidence into the desolate looking restaurant.

"Hello?" I called as we entered. The door slammed abrubtly behind us upon our entry, causing both of us to jump in surprise. I couldn't see any trace of life and the dust in the place was already causing my allergies to act up. Tater trotted around the dusty floor, sniffing each wooden board excitely.

"We're not open! Please come again another day!" a somewhat cheery female voice called from the back. There was a loud crash that immediately followed. Hinata and I rushed to the source, which was what I assumed to be the kitchen area.

We could see a twitching hand poking out of a large pile of dusty boards, pots, and pans. Dust was still floating in the air as a result from the crash. I immediately began to sneeze like crazy, burying my face deep in the crook of my arm.

I didn't let my allergies stop me from helping the trapped woman, however. I helped Hinata push aside the boards and cooking materials until we found the victim.

A somewhat elderly woman, probably in her late fifties, with greying frizzy red hair and funky looking glasses laid underneath. She wore a long, gypsy like, patchwork dress and leather sandals. She reminded me a lot of an art teacher I had back in the day.

"Wow! Thank you both!" she said, blinking dumbfounded at us. I gave her my hand and helped her up.

"No problem." I said with a smile.

"Are you alright?" Hinata asked, rather timidly. The woman smiled and laughed heartily.

"Oh yeah. I'm a tough cookie. It's gonna take more than a couple of bonks on the head to hurt me." she said, brushing the dust off her clothes. I shook my head.

"That was more than a couple of bonks." I muttered under my breath, looking at the huge pile.

"I'm sorry I can't offer you any payment of thanks." she apologized "I sunk every last penny I had into buying this place and after two years I still haven't been able to get it started."

"Really? How come you decided to buy this place without having some money left over to get it started?" I asked. She rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed.

"Well, when I was younger, I always wanted to own my own restaurant, but whenever I had plenty of money there would be no buildings for sale. And when there were a bunch of buildings for sale, I had no money." she explained "So I figured that as soon as I had just enough money to buy a building I would just do it and deal with whatever happens after as it comes."

"If you don't mind me saying, that seems kind of risky." HInata said. I nodded, silently agreeing with her. The woman also nodded and wiped her dusty hands on a rag that was tucked into her belt.

"You're telling me! I don't even have enough money to hire anyone to help me run this place!" she sighed.

"Well, what do you need done?" I asked, seeing an opportunity rising.

"I need to paint...like...everything. And I need to come up with a menu and I definately need to refurnish!" she exclaimed tiredly, hanging her head in shame. For someone who's dream was to own a restaurant, this lady didn't seem to know a lot of the in's and out's of one. From what I could see, she didn't even know that much about the basics. It was sad, really.

"I can do that." I told her. The woman's face immediately lit up and she clasped my hands with her eyes full of hope.

"Really?! You can?! But I don't have any money to pay you! How will you do it?!" she asked. I smiled uneasily. Yes, it was a pretty tall order to fill and it didn't gaurantee any of much pay for a while. But if I could get everything this woman needed, then she would definately owe me at least a good job.

"Well, maybe I can find some paint and supplies to spruce this place up. And as far as furniture and a menu..."I put a finger to my lips and thought about the Inuzuka household. Surely, there must be some stuff just laying around there I could use. Plus, maybe I could take over the cooking since Tsume didn't really seem so keen on it. It would give me a chance to experiment with what dishes would be a hit or a miss.

"I'll figure out something." I finished "You can pay me when you get the money. All I ask is a secure position once things get started."

"Consider it done!" the frizzy haired woman said, extremely thankful. She shook my hand furiously.

"I'm Rei Megumi. Just call me, Rei. And who might you be, new employee?"

I blushed furiously, letting her flop my hand around wildly like a fish out of water.

"I'm June Clark." I introduced myself. As if on cue, Tater ran into the room, barking and jumping up to greet my new boss.

"Aw! And who is this little angel?!" Rei asked, kneeling down and petting Tater all over.

"Oh! That's Tater Tot, but everyone calls her Tater." I informed her. Tater jumped onto Rei's lap, licking her face affectionately.

"Aw! She's absolutely precious!" Rei cooed, giving Tater lots of kisses "I've got the perfect job for you, too! Would you like to be our mascot?"

This time, it was my face that lit up. I was so worried Tater would have to wait outside while I was at work, but now that she got to work with me I couldn't be happier.

"Are you kidding?! She'd love to!" I squealed "Did you hear that, girl? You're gonna be the face of a whole restaurant!"

Tater barked happily in response. She was also probably worried that she would have to wait for me outside. And with the heat of summer approaching, it wouldn't have been a very comfortable experience for her, to put it lightly.

"Right then! So it's settled!" Rei exclaimed, brushing the dirt and dust off of her long skirt "You and Tater can come in around lunchtime tomorrow to fill out paperwork and stuff. Feel free to bring in any ideas and whatever you want."

I knelt down and scooped Tater into my arms.

"Wow! Looks like we hit the jackpot, Tater! I exclaimed, bowing politely to my new boss "Thank you very much, Ms Rei! I'll be sure to see you tomorrow!"

"I'll see you tomorrow, Ms June!"


	10. Ramen Noodle Filler

_Yes! Finally in the double digits! I know things might be coming along pretty slowly, but I'm just setting the scene here. And just an FYI: Kiba will be returning in like maybe three chapters. I am thinking about doing a chapter from his point of view, but I'm not entirely 100% on it. Just write me and tell me what you think!_

_I don't own Naruto or any of the characters associated with Naruto. I do own June, Tater, and Rei. Enjoy!_

* * *

Hinata and I laughed happily as we walked up the hill to the Inuzuka compound. Since we got the job thing out of the way, we just spent the rest of the day window shopping. It was actually a lot of fun, considering I had no money to spend. I didn't expect someone as shy as Hinata to be so entertaining. I suppose once she gets to know a person, all that shyness sort of wears off. It would never completely go away because, after all, being shy is a huge part of what makes Hinata Hinata.

It was dark by the time we entered the Inuzuka house. I had asked my white eyed friend over for dinner while we were walking and she readily accepted. She seemed incredibly eager to stay over at the house with me and, knowing how rough her home life was, I knew it was for good reason. I would've asked her to sleep over, but I had work the next day.

"So what would you like to eat?" I asked, locking the kitchen door behind me.

"Um, what do you have?" Hinata replied, looking around as if this was her first time seeing the Inuzuka kitchen so clean. It made me kinda proud of myself, which was a very foreign feeling to me.

I chuckled.

"Nothing really, except dog food. We've got plenty of that."

Hinata let out a tiny giggle. I opened up the freezer and peered inside. There wasn't much in there, minus some questionable looking frostbitten meat. I shut the door with a cringe. I wasn't even going to try to look at what was inside the lower half again.

"Maybe there's some ramen in the pantry." Hinata suggested. I nodded and made my way over to the indicated area. Thankfully, as I opened the door, there were two cups of unopened ramen noodles. As an added bonus, they were both my favorite flavor: beef.

About three minutes later, Hinata and I were sitting on a chewed up couch in what I presumed to be the living room watching some awful B-rated horror movie while nibbling on our steaming cups of ramen.

"Thanks for being here, Hinata." I said, handing Tater some noodles which she happily accepted, "I don't know what I would've done without you."

That was a lie. If Hinata wasn't there, I probably would've immediately changed into my pjs, locked myself in Kiba's room with Tater, and watched whatever was on tv until I either passed out or the sun rose. Pretty much the same thing I would've done in my home universe, but in my fantasy world-which had now become my reality. Whoa, that just made my head hurt just a bit.

Even though my old reality sucked, I had a little faith that I could make a new one here. I knew it would be impossible to make one that was all rainbows and sunshine, but I wanted to at least make one that I could live in; not just one I had to survive in.

"You're welcome, June." she replied "To be honest, I really like being here with you."

"Rough house?" I asked, knowing full well that her home probably wasn't the most enjoyable place to live in. At least, not for her.

The Hyuuga girl let out a heavy sigh, hanging her head, and letting her dark hair fall over her white face. Her shoulders sagged as if the weight of the world was just suddenly placed upon them.

"You alright?" I asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. I knew exactly how she was feeling. It's probably why I liked her so much as a character. Much like a butterfly in a spider's web, she struggled and struggled with all of her might to break free of her restraints in order to join her fellow winged insects in the sky. However, each movement seemed to only pull her further down and if she did manage to break free, even for a moment, she ended up only hurting herself. It was a less than pleasant feeling that I experienced almost constantly when I was living with my parents. I hated seeing such a sweet girl go through that.

"Not really." she said, simply and sadly. She didn't seem to want to talk about it, that much was clear. And it wasn't my place to pry, regardless of how much inside knowledge I had.

"Well," I said, laying back into the couch and spinning some noodles around my chopsticks "I think you're pretty awesome, Hinata. And regardless of what shit is going on at home, I know you have the strength to pull through it all."

I stuck my noodles in my mouth, watching carefully as Hinata's face rose with a soft smile.

"Thank you, June. I'm so glad you fell down from the sky. I can tell that we're gonna be great friends." she told me. I blushed, feeling a warm feeling spread from the center of my chest to the rest of my body.

"I just know we will." I added "And if you ever need any help, you know who to call."

Hinata blushed as well, and began to fidget with her fingers.

"Thank you. And if you need any help either, I will do my best to provide."

I smiled and stroked Tater's fur thoughtfully.

"Alright, let's stop being cheesy and finish this shitty movie."

The movie ended up lasting longer than either of us thought it would, but Hinata insisted that it wasn't a problem if she were to return home late. I believed her, knowing it wasn't really out of the ordinary for her to train well into the night.

"You sure you don't want me to at least walk you home?" I asked, as I walked my friend to the door "I could ride my bike back here, if you're worried about me being out too late."

She nodded.

"Yes, I'm sure. The city looks very different at night and I wouldn't want you to get lost." she said "And besides, if your bike tries to kill you again, there will be no Lee or Gai-sensei to save you."

I sighed, frustrated at my own incompetence; which caused Hinata to let out a giggle.

"Don't worry" she assured me "You will get the hang of things soon."

I chuckled.

"Yeah, let's hope so. See ya later, Hinata."

"See you later, June." she replied cheerfully. I made sure to watch her shadowy figure as it left the warm light of the house and traveled down the hill. The Ninja War had not started yet, that much I was sure of. I doubted if any of these people knew what struggles laid ahead of them.

"Out of the frying pan and into the fire." I sighed, shaking my head as I closed and locked the door. I contemplated wheter or not I should warn anyone. I didn't want to cause unneccessary panic, but if I warned someone I could potentially save some lives.

"This village has already been through so much." I muttered to myself as I walked up the stairs, thinking about the tragedy that was the last Chunnin exams "Maybe I should just let them have their short time of happiness."

I slid the door open to Kiba's room and made my way over to the bed, stepping over the piles of clothes on the floor. Tater had already went to bed a long time ago. She was curled up right in the huge dent where Akamaru usually laid. I smiled fondly and crawled into bed, pulling the covers up over me as I went. I was too tired to bother with changing into pjs.

Tater barely even moved as I entered the bed. I didn't want to wake her, even though she and I usually cuddled until we fell asleep. It would be a rough, short sleep; I knew that. Being alone in a huge house on a huge plot of land without knowing how to operate the locks on a sliding bedroom door was one of the worst situations I could've imagined myself in, but for some reason, I wasn't afraid.

As I inhaled the scent of Kiba and dog off the sheets, I found myself being lulled into a dreamless sleep.


	11. Embrace the Fire of Youth

_Hey,all! Just wanted to say that this is the last chapter that I have prewritten for this story! Plus, I'm going to work in a few days so that really is going to limit the amount of work I'll be able to put out until summer is over. But don't worry! I'm still going to post more chapters for this AND even add a few more stories that I have stashed away! Anyways, thanks for reading and understanding!_

_I don't own Naruto or any of the characters associated with Naruto. I do own June, Tater, and Rei. Enjoy!_

* * *

The next day, I woke up with only thin rays of sunlight passing through the blinds. I could just barely tell that the sky was grey and currently devoid of all life.

"So much for the early bird gets the worm." I yawned, scratching my head. As my eyes adjusted to the low lighting, I could see Tater propped up on her two front paws and looking out the window anxiously.

"Hey, girl." I said crawling over to her. I raised the blinds so she could have a better view.

"You waiting for Akamaru?" I asked. She whined and scratched the window longingly. I smiled fondly at her and scratched her head.

"Wow, I've never seen you genuinely care about another dog before." I commented before picking her up and setting her in my lap.

"Don't worry, girl." I told her "Kiba and Akamaru are fine. They're gonna be home in three weeks!"

She whined again and wagged her tail. I smirked and kissed the side of her face.

"You really like him don't you?" I asked. Tater barked accusingly at me. I blushed, turning her over and scratching her plump belly.

"So what if I like Kiba! At least I'm not pining after him like some lost puppy dog!"

It was the first time I said it out loud in this world. It's not like it was a big deal, right? I liked him. So what? It's not like it was anything more. It's not as if I wanted it to be anything more, did I?

I felt my heart skip a beat as the thought crossed my mind. I could lie to everyone else, but I could never lie to myself.

I looked over at Kiba's desk, which was completely covered with papers and clothes. Maybe sending just one letter wouldn't be so stupid. Plus, maybe Kiba could tell me something about how to treat Tater's current anxiety.

"I'm gonna write Kiba a letter, ok?" I told my pup as I got out of bed "Then we'll clean up a bit before going to see Ms Rei, alright?"

Tater groaned and walked around in a circle three times before laying down in a huff. I smirked and shook my head at my silly dog. She had never taken a liking towards another dog before. She usually didn't even pay much attention to them after she gave them a quick sniff. It was cute.

"Now, what to write." I pondered, grabbing a broken pencil and a coffee stained piece of paper. I shrugged before just writing down whatever came to mind.

Twenty minutes and three crumpled up pieces of paper later, the letter was finished. I still didn't want to send it, but I figured if I wasn't happy with it after twenty minutes then I never would be happy with it. Besides, it was just a letter: not anything life threatening.

"Alright, Tater, let's get ready!" I exclaimed, holding up my envelope triumphantly. Tater yawned, stretched, and stood up. She clearly didn't understand or care about the gravity of my accomplishment.

I dressed myself in one of Kiba's t-shirts from when he was younger and some blue jean cut offs. I was going to be doing who knows what today, so I guess appearances didn't really matter. Well, except one part of my appearance.

I rummaged through Kiba's drawers until I found a roll of white bandages. Back in my universe, seeing someone walking around with an arm covered in bandages just spelled trouble, but here it seemed to be fairly common. More like a fashion accessory if anything.

I quickly wrapped the bandages around my scarred left wrist and braided my hair to the side, tying up any loose strands with a red bandana.

"You ready to eat, Tater?" I asked, turning to my companion. She barked and wagged her tail impatiently.

I sat at the spotless kitchen table, nibbling on the last doughnut I found in the fridge while drinking some cold orange juice. I still couldn't figure out how to use their coffee machine. That would have to change the instant Kiba stepped his first foot in the door.

I popped the last bite of doughnut into my mouth and chugged the remainder of my orange juice.

"Hm, now I can either start cleaning the house or I can try fixing my bike." I looked out the window of the kitchen door at my rusted blue metal death machine. Fixing that, especially with my lack of experience, would probably take forever and I really didn't have that kind of time right now. On the other hand, it was my only ride into town.

"I guess I will just have to risk it." I muttered to myself. There is no way I was going to even try to accomplish such a frustrating task such as fixed that rusted hunk of junk without any caffine in my system.

I set about cleaning up the living room. It was filled with leftover takeout boxes, chopsticks, and a whold bunch of other unmentionables. Luckily, I wasn't the traditional "girlish" type of girl. Also, it was worth mentioning that by some miracle, there were no bugs to be seen. Lucky me, right?

Once all the trash was gone and the floors were waxed, I saw that everything was in relatively good shape. Well, everything except the moth eaten couch, the armchair that was buried beneath tons of spoiled food, and the chewed up coffee table. So, in other words, everything except the furniture.

"Looks, like I'm shopping for furniture for two houses." I muttered. I could hear Tater whine in response as she descended the stairs. She held my letter to Kiba firmly in her tiny jaws as she pranced over to me. I scooped her up into my arms.

"Good girl" I cooed, scratching her behind her ears. I had almost forgotten that I had to deliver Kiba's letter today.

"You excited for your first day?" I asked her, removing the letter from her mouth. She wagged her tail and barked. She was probably eager for another ride of death into the village. It wasn't something I planned on doing again.

A few minutes later, I was walking my rusted bike down the steep hill upon which the Inuzuka household rested. I never checked in the nearby barn for the furniture that Ms. Rei wanted, but she seemed like a pretty relaxed person. I was sure we could work on the menu or something instead.

Once at the bottom of the hill, I hopped onto my bike and started pedaling. The cool breeze blew over my face, making me realize just how much I was sweating. It probably wasn't the best day to be riding long distances without any water, but I'm sure there was a water fountain in town I could use once I got there.

I stopped pedaling and let gravity do the rest of the work for me. As we decended the slight incline, Tater barked happily at the passing bystanders. She seemed to enjoy this ride a bit less than the one that almost killed us yesterday.

"You're such a little weirdo." I muttered, shaking my head.

"Miss June!" an all too familiar voice shouted from my right, causing me to jump and almost fall off my still moving bike.

"Ah! Lee! Don't scare me like that!" I scolded him. He blushed, slightly embarrassed as he jogged next to me.

"Sorry! I just wanted to thank you for the exciting and youthful challenge you gave to me and Gai-sensei yesterday!" he exclaimed. I smiled and rolled my eyes. There would be no point in telling him that it was most certainly not a challenge.

"It really wasn't that big of a deal, but you're welcome." I replied. He shook his head.

"No, you don't understand. It was so invigorating that I even felt as if I was going to lose my life!" he said "It really stoked the fire of youth deep within my soul!"

The bike rolled to a stop in front of the Hokage's building and I hopped off the side. With some difficulty, I managed to slam the kickstand down.

"Well, I'm glad I gave you something to do." I said, feeling kind of awkward.

"Indeed! There must be something I can do to repay you!" he exclaimed. I felt another blush creep onto my cheeks. This boy certainly had a knack for making me feel uncomfortable.

"You really don't have to do anything. Really I-"

"I must at least give you a meal for your kindness!"

I almost fainted. Did he just offer me dinner? And all because I told him to ride a death bike as fast as humanly possible down a hill? What would he have offered me if he had broken a bone or even spilled some of that youthful blood all over the pavement? This kid was definately off his rocker.

"It is settled! I shall be collecting you at your place of buisness at dinnertime!" he exlcaimed before running off, excitedly. I blinked a few times and stared at the green clad ninja as he leaped off the ground.

"What the hell just happened?!" I exclaimed after a few moments thought.


End file.
